EP Review: Soggy – S/T

There’s a certain therapeutic advantage that comes from writing music. While you may expect to hear this from an amateur musician (looking at you Jez) or a stoner (looking at you Jez), there’s actual evidence to support this notion: research puts it down to it being a sort of cathartic action that allows an artist to come to terms with emotions, expanding the toolbox of the person in question.

It’s no real surprise, then, to hear bands such as Soggy champion the curative benefits of music with emotion being the core factor of what they do, using the deepest, darkest parts of their depression to create their art. The day to day struggles that the Texas rockers explore here may not be groundbreaking but the way in which they execute them certainly allow the band to shine as another example in emo rock’s rejuvenation.

This is clear from, quite literally, the get go as introductory track Small Town gets things underway with a mighty, punky kick: already, it’s clear to see that Soggy wear both their idols and emotions on their sleeves with a clear Joyce Manor influence radiating from every orifice of this track’s angsty little body. In addition to this, there’s no way of shaking the similarities to Remo Drive, another new act who are championing in a new age of angsty punk with a dashing of emo. There’s the classic trait of worrying about being stuck in, you guess it, a small town but the extra layers crafted by the protagonist’s existentialism and constant fear save it from being just another rehash of a pop punk trope that has got very tedious.

As it continues, Soggy start to get more comfortable with the listener, albeit not for very long. Succeeding track Radicus Finch is evidence enough of this, showing a very varied form of instrumentals: one minute, the band become very laid back and chill before breaking into this hectic cataclysm and it all gives way for some unexpected, one-off stylings (just try to shake off those very sweet blips of percussion that hark back to TheFront Bottoms‘ debut). While it may seem like the sound is what drives this track but it’s really the performance of all the members is what makes it a stand out on the EP. A notable highlight has to be, once again, lead vocalist Alexi’s vocals, wonderfully carrying a messy breakdown about inadequacy and change though Scott on guitar does manage to steal the show at the tail end of the song, showing the band is more the sum of their parts than a one man show.

This isn’t to imply that Soggy iron out all the flaw on this release: one notable complaint has to be the length of certain tracks though unlike their counterparts, the band tends to drag songs on too long rather than cut them short. While they’re pleasant to listen to, sometimes tracks tend to be border on filler which no bombastic breakdown can help fix. Thankfully, instances like this are very few and far between and 90% of the time, Soggy hit the mark with their own rendition of emo-punk goodness. Full of identity and progress, Soggy manage to mature via their use of their music as an outlet to let out all angst and rage. With their debut EP cementing the potential the band hold, they aren’t set to outstay their welcome anytime soon.